Vehicle speed control or cruise control systems are well known in the prior art. Typical systems and methods allow a vehicle operator to engage a cruise control device to set and maintain a constant vehicle speed and to subsequently resume a previously set vehicle speed after interruption. Mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic implementations have been developed for a wide variety of engine types. A number of control strategies utilize either PI or PID closed-loop control of the vehicle speed based upon throttle angle position.
The inventors herein have discovered that less complexity results by utilizing desired engine torque as an input rather than throttle angle position.